Bunny Hops
by yoyoente
Summary: Various one-shots and plot bunnies from the Skip Beat! universe.
1. Mask

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Skip Beat or any of the manga's characters. I only borrow them on occassion for my own amusement.

**Mask**

It started with a new drama.

With Dark Moon being finished, Kyoko was able to take on another job.

It wasn't a role she immediately fell in love with, but she felt that she could relate well with the character.

The girl had been betrayed by her boyfriend that had always taken her for granted. So when she had decided she was finished with him and left, he was decidedly confused.

The only part that Kyoko had trouble understanding was how the girl treated her ex whenever they'd happen to meet.

It wasn't until Kyoko read a line from the character that she had her epiphany.

By becoming upset because of Shoutaro she was letting him rule her life, just as much as he had before. _But_ if she treated him as though he were nothing other than another random musician (with indifference) then not only would she confuse him, she would also be telling him blatantly that she didn't give a rat's ass about him. And there was nothing Shoutaro hated worse than _not_ being the center of someone's world.

Polite indifference would also work on others that she couldn't stand, like Reino from that Beagles group.

And thus, Mogami Kyoko created a stage personality.


	2. Disillusioned

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters. I only borrow them for my own amusement.

**Disillusioned**

Shouko could only listen disapprovingly, (her voice and face though, were carefully neutral) as her talent lamented over the clingy, lovesick, plain country bumpkin of a girl he lived with. She made noises in all the right places, but personally thought he was exaggerating the situation. Not once had she seen this girl at the studio or heard of her phoning him. And the girl had to know his phone number. If she really was as clingy as he claimed, then surely she would be just as obsessive (if not more so) when he was at work.

But Fuwa Sho was her talent, so Shouko made sympathetic noises and very carefully suggested that he send the poor naïve girl home to Kyoto in hopes that the girl would restart her life, possibly heartbroken, but hopefully seeing the evils of the world a bit more clearly.

Sho latched onto the idea enthusiastically, but made sure that Shouko understood that he was not becoming independent, but only transferring his dependence onto her. Right about the point that Shouko was dearly wishing that her talent had a bit more humility and shame, something new entered the scene.

A scuff of shoe and quiet sniffle could be heard. Shouko looked around Sho – who had taken up residence in her lap – and saw what looked to be a very plain looking girl in a fast food restaurant uniform, holding a bag of food as though her life depended on it. A look of utter heart-break was on the girl's face.

"Sho-chan?" The voice was soft and warbled.

Sho stiffened almost unnoticeably in Shouko's lap before sliding to the floor and turning.

"Kyoko." The name was said flatly and the girl seemed to shrink further. Shouko's eyes widened. This was the girl that Sho complained about as being a plain country bumpkin? While the girl didn't have the flashy good looks some had, she certainly wasn't _bad_ looking. And Shouko, talented as she was for finding celebrity material, could see the potential for beauty in both the face and body of the girl should she simply put a bit of time and effort into it. To be completely honest, the neutral look this Kyoko had was perfect for a model or actress. It allowed the director/photographer to get whatever they wanted from the girl, be it an ugly homeless person, or a beautiful goddess. Though that kicked puppy look seemed to fit her current plainness perfectly.

"Is that really how you see me?" Shouko noticed that while the girl had a warble in her voice, tears in her eyes, and was trembling, there seemed to be an aura of excited anticipation surrounding her. Sho didn't appear to notice. "Just a housemaid? Not even a…" she swallowed as though the idea was distasteful, "sister? I just happened to be useful?"

Sho looked to the side as a tear finally lost the battle with gravity and rolled down Kyoko's cheek. But, while he felt a pang at the sight of those tears, he felt no real emotional upset from this confrontation. For too long Kyoko had been a reminder of what his parent's had wanted of him. So, while he might regret it in the future, at that moment, Sho only snorted.

"You're a good cook Kyoko," a large understatement, "and keep a decent house," another almost lie, "but you were only useful. Now that I have the money, I don't need you anymore. You should go back to Kyoto. I'm sure my parents would be happy to have you back." Sho, looking away as he was, didn't see the way the tension left Kyoko, but Shouko did, and she wondered. For all of two minutes.

"Oh." The flat, neutral was the word was said brought Sho's eyes back up to Kyoko's carefully blank face. She scrutinized him for half a minute before releasing a breathless laugh of relief. "Oh, thank God." Her face smoothed once more into careful blankness as her hand extended, palm facing upwards. "Keys, please."

In his dazed incomprehension, Sho followed the direction and handed Kyoko his ring of keys. Just as he finally realized what he had done, she was handing the key-ring back, minus one key.

"Wha-?" Sho blinked dumbly, not even being able to properly formulate his query.

Kyoko studied him for a moment, weighing the consequences before deciding that the amusement she would receive outweighed the need for discrepancy. A smile of light amusement overtook her face, as though sharing an inside joke. "You've no idea how tiring playing that part was. Especially with no knowing when you'd show up. I'm just relieved that now I don't have to pretend for anyone anymore. At least, not unless I want to."

"Pretend?" Sho croaked in disbelief.

Kyoko laughed in pity. "Yes. Pretend. Your parents took me in. The least I could do was pretend to be what they wanted. Now that I know you hold no affection for me, and you wish to cut ties, I can, with clear conscience, leave off said masks. It is a bit sad that after 13 years of friendship you don't care a whit about me, but," she shrugged, "oh well. Better to start from scratch."

Kyoko tossed the bag of fast food onto the sofa, ignoring the gob-smacked expression on Sho's face. Turning to face Shouko directly, she bowed respectfully. "Nice to finally meet you Shouko-san." An amused smile quirked her lips. "Good luck."

Kyoko looked at Sho once more, only a small sting in her heart. "I'll have your things delivered to the agency." Sho looked down at the key-ring in his hand, only then registering that she'd taken the key to their apartment. When he looked back up, she was already striding away, walking in a manner he'd never seen before. Cool confidence.

That, more than anything, secured one thing in Sho's mind: he'd never truly known Mogami Kyoko, and now he probably never would.

Shouko left her talent standing in shock, almost running down the hallway in hopes of catching up with the girl she'd seen transform from a soft-spoken, plain country bumpkin into a quiet confident young woman with a face that hinted at beauty. She didn't work in the acting section of her agency, but she knew talent and potential when she saw it.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow, looking from the card to Shouko's very serious face.

"Acting, huh?" She seemed to ponder it momentarily before nodding decisively. "Yes, that sounds fun." Kyoko looked back down at the card in her hand before handing it back to the talent manager. "Thanks, but I won't be needing that." She smiled one last time, her expression of anticipation and satisfaction making her beautiful, before turning on her heel and leaving a quietly flustered Shouko behind.

**---**

**A/N:** An explanation for the background of this - Kyoko was disillusioned early in life, through both the behavior of her mother and the way that Sho seemed to merely tolerate her presence. Her love for Sho slowly tapered off into affection one might feel for a distant cousin, but she was still very grateful to the Fuwa family. Kyoko takes honour very seriously, so she acted as she felt she should, by appearing as the girl she felt they wanted her to be. While this Kyoko would not have the extreme demons that the original Kyoko does (nor her obsession for fairytales - neither does she believe them), she does have her own version of grudges, etc.


	3. Trouble

**A/N:** Yes, it's a bit cliche' but I couldn't resist.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters. I only borrow them occassionally, for my own amusement.

**Trouble**

"Who the hell are you?"

Kyoko looked up from her doll making at the harsh yet familiar voice speaking English. Her relieved smile froze on her face as she registered just what he had said and how it had been spoken, but she rallied.

A gentle smile on her face, Kyoko responded in clear and accent-less English. "My name is Kyoko. May I ask for yours?" She had a guess, a horrible feeling of foreboding, but wanted to be sure before voicing it.

Suspicion clear on his face, the man known to the Japanese public as Tsuruga Ren answered curtly. "Kuon Hizuri. Where am I?"

Kyoko took a deep steadying breath before replying. "You're in Boss's house, in Japan. What do you last remember?" Kuon started at the title for LME's president but seemed to be relaxing in the gentle aura Kyoko was purposefully emitting.

"I had gotten on a plane? For Japan? No, that's not right. Maybe I'd arrived? I'm not sure. It's fuzzy. What the hell happened?" His tone went from hesitant to demanding, clearly expecting to be obeyed.

Kyoko elevated an eyebrow slightly before returning to her previous serene countenance. "You've lived in Japan for a while now." When Kuon seemed about to interrupt Kyoko raised her hand in a 'stop' gesture. "You took a blow to the head earlier today; it appears that somehow you've lost your memories for the past few years."

Kuon could no longer contain his astonishment and suspicion. "Years?! Impossible!" As he moved to get out of bed, he looked back up at the lying chit in front of him, only to stop short. In her hand was a mirror that was reflecting someone he'd never seen before, someone who looked like him, but had a different hair color and appeared slightly older. It was…shocking.

"Here in Japan your name is Tsuruga Ren. It is your stage name, however, as far as I know only the Boss and I know your true name. You came to Japan as a way to start a career in acting without the shadow of your father hanging over you. You've been very successful, but the problem is that you have an entire persona attached to the name that you use while interacting with anyone-"

"Why do you know?" Kuon questioned the girl that strangely reminded him of his childhood. The story she was telling sounded very familiar, but it made no sense that she alone (excluding the boss) would know his true identity.

Kyoko colored slightly. "I actually figured it out on my own." At his look of disbelief she elaborated. "I've met your father; spend several days as his assistant in fact." A fond look spread across her face before she shook the feelings away. "But the real reason I could tell was that we met as children." Kuon had a skeptical look on his face, Kyoko smiled softly. "In Kyoto, you let me believe you were a Fairy Prince."

Recognition, shock, and something softer passed across Kuon's face. He looked at the young woman before him, seeing the same little girl. "Kyoko-Chan…" Kuon's voice was soft.

Kyoko smile brightly. "Hai!" Kuon jerked slightly at the subtle reminder that they'd been speaking in clear and perfect English. He studied Kyoko, impressed despite himself, but she was up and at the door, speaking softly to someone waiting, before he could voice his admiration. The man appeared to be covered from head to foot in a Middle Eastern garb. Obviously, he was one of Boss's assistants.

"The President should be here soon. He'll help you figure out what to do." When Kuon looked as though he would protest, Kyoko again held up a hand. "Even if you could recreate the persona of Tsuruga Ren, the fact that you can't remember anything for the last few years, including all the current acting jobs you are in the middle of, requires some serious thought and planning." The smile on her face took the sting from her mini-lecture.

Before Kuon could think of an appropriate response the door flung open revealing a teary-eyed Lory Takarada. "Ren! You're awake!"

The fact that he was speaking Japanese was sharply contrasted by the fact that Kyoko spoke up English. "Tsuruga-san appears to be having some trouble with his memory."

The Boss did a double-take before shutting the door behind him sharply and looking at Kyoko with piercing eyes. "What do you know?"

Kyoko looked very serious as she responded in her mother tongue. "I know and have known that Tsuruga Ren in actually Hizuri Kuon ever since shortly after Ot-"She interrupted herself by clearing her throat. "-Hizuri-san left. And Kuon-san apparently does not remember his time in Japan." Lory looked over to Kuon, who was watching the interaction with interest, before sighing and putting a hand to his forehead.

"Ah…you always seem to find yourself in the most interesting situations don't you Kuon?" Lory smiled fondly, missing the slight blush that developed in Kyoko's face. Kuon did not, and found himself intrigued.

**A/N:** Kyoko's smart! *giggles* This would happen under the assumption that Kyoko would wish to know more about the character she played/her adoptive brother and researched him. She would notice some alarming similarities between Hizuri Kuon and Tsuruga Ren and would eventually make the connection between that and her childhood as well. :)


	4. Self Defense

**A/N:** This is how I thought Ch 146 should have gone. But then, I'm pro-violence. *snickers*

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters. I only borrow them on occassion for my own amusement.

**Self Defense**

**"Let me taste it too."**

_What?_

Kyoko's mind went blank for a moment, shocked pass any coherent thought as that Sho-Baka grabbed the front of her shirt and kissed her. For a whole second she remained frozen in disbelief before the feel of his hands possessively grabbing her hips woke her.

Furious, Kyoko curled the fingers of her right hand, leaving her palm flat and open. Her knuckles hit the front of his throat with enough force to remove his mouth from hers. The next second the idiot had fallen on his ass, choking and gasping for air.

Kyoko moved to wipe her mouth with the back of her hand, but hesitated. She couldn't decide whether she wanted the taste of the chocolate gone from her mouth (because of what it reminded her of) or if she wanted more. It really was good. She settled for clenching the hand into a fist and gritting her teeth.

"You self-absorbed ass! I should castrate you!"  
On the floor, Sho's attempts at speech had deteriorated into sputtering. "You…you _assaulted_ me! My _voice_!" The last was exclaimed in despair as he realized that he sounded like a pre-pubescent male – fluctuating between squeaky or gruff.

Kyoko lifted an imperious eyebrow. "It was self defense. I must protect myself when a fan decides to try and maul me."

As Sho continued to sputter incomprehensibly, Kyoko turned and stalked away. Her walk was an odd combination of Mio and Natsu: all confidence, superiority, and controlled rage.

That day Mio managed to frighten more than a few into fainting.

Director Ogata was ecstatic when he himself was revived.


	5. Misunderstandings

**A/N:** Yet another alternate Ch 146. A bit more sad though.

**Dislaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters. I only borrow them on occassion for my own amusement.

**Misunderstandings**

Kyoko shoved him away, too surprised and stricken to be angry. A hand wiped fiercely as her mouth, trying to remove the evidence, the memory. But the taste of chocolate persisted in her mouth, serving only to remind her.

Everyone was staring at her, looking astonished at what had happened as Kyoko backed away from her once childhood friend, shaking her head. A look at her Tsuruga-sempai, at the barely controlled rage on his face, and she was turning away, running down the hallway.

Away from her coworkers. Away from her sempai. But most of all, away from _him._

He hadn't only robbed her of her precious first kiss, but he'd stolen from her yet another almost (but not quite) forgotten dream. Not only that, but he'd _molested_ her. All, for his own sick amusement.

She felt violated.

___

Tsuruga-san's hold on her was unbreakable as she shook.

Kyoko did not even know what she was feeling. Only that she desperately wanted to cry, yet could not seem to get the tears out. This was beyond anger. Beyond sadness.

A despair so keen it left her breathless rose up when Tsuruga-san released his hold on her. He'd chased after her, intent on learning what it was that had caused her such distress, but now that she'd told him, he was pulling away.

Like Sho.

Like her mother.

_Like Corn._

A coldness so great, she was sure winter had come unexpectedly, swept through her. She could hear the wind, a great rushing noise blocking out all other sound. Kyoko didn't think that she could bear to stand there as he, too, walked away.

Something broke inside her as Kyoko realized that, while certainly not as strong, what she was feeling now was the same as those other times. Somehow though, it was worse.

The first time she had consoled herself with the knowledge that Corn had never truly belonged in this world. That he was returning home to grow and become King. It was a poor consolation from losing her only true friend, but she had been resilient.

Her mother's abandonment caused her to latch on, even more strongly, to Shoutaro. Kyoko had understood long before the final act that she would never be what her mother wanted her to be, so _really_ it was like pulling the scab off an already healing wound. The damage had already been inflicted and she'd been coping with it, healing, but her mother's leaving had been a set back.

With Shoutaro, he'd broken something inside her. All her feelings of love and affection towards him had been turned into anger and hate. She'd been filled with a need for vengeance.

Now, though.

Now, she just felt empty.

She should have expected it, really. Hadn't she always thought he'd disliked her? Didn't he always disprove of her? Tsuruga-san only really put up with her because he didn't want her to make the company look bad. Her melodramatic tendencies, her feelings in general, he had on more than one occasion stated his disproval of them all.

Emptiness filled her now because while there had been no expectations, there had been a quiet hope. Unnoticeable to even her, except now that it had been snuffed out.

So when he turned, obviously intent on getting away, Kyoko shadowed away. She used all her skills in stealth, and all her strange supernatural powers to back away three quick steps and turn around the corner. She ran, lightly on the balls of her feet, making no noise on the carpeted hallway, until she reached her dressing room.

A deep shaky breath of almost frantic relief escaped her as she shut and locked the door.

Striding quickly over to her purse, Kyoko deftly removed the little pouch containing Corn and slipped the little blue stone into her hand.

A mantra of "it's okay…I'm fine…" fell from her lips as she clenched her hand around the talisman. She rocked in her chair with growing desperation.

It wasn't working.

A quiet cry of despair was released involuntarily from her throat before she slammed her hand and the stone against the tabletop.

Kyoko heard the stone crack on the metal table and felt the sting of pain almost simultaneously. She opened her hand to discover three tiny cuts, already welling with blood, and her precious stone in three jagged pieces.

Laughter bubbled up in her throat as Kyoko realized that her precious Corn, her talisman against evil and sadness, could no longer be held without a chance (a high likelihood) of her being cut.

That smooth faced stone was broken now, rough and unseemly. Kyoko tenderly placed the pieces back into its little pouch. Her face went blank.

Even if the stone was broken…no one had to know that…not unless it was purposefully shown to them.

An image of Tsuruga-san's face morphing from that gentlemanly smile to the Demon Lord flitted through her mind.

A persona.

Just like she had created Natsu, and Mio, she could create a face to show the world. She could hide the broken shards of her heart away, never let anyone touch them again.

She could be safe.

___

Ren felt his heart clenching in pain. She was hurting, shocked, but a small part of him wanted to claim her. To do something to pull her mind away from the idiot that occupied her thoughts. To possess her for himself.

He released her from his hold, preventing himself from taking further advantage. She needed his advice and his shoulder to cry on, not his selfish feelings.

So he took a deep breath and turned. This was not the place to discuss this, where they could be easily overheard. He released the air in his lungs slowly, calming himself before speaking.

"Come, Mogami-san, let's speak somewhere more private." His voice was soothing, but when he turned back at her lack of answer, she was gone.

Ren blinked stupidly for a moment, overcome with shock. He hadn't heard a sound, yet she wasn't there. He took two quick steps to reach the corner and looked around it, but she wasn't in that hallway either.

Uneasiness slid through him as he walked quickly towards her dressing room.

She wasn't there.

Ren finally came across her standing with the director, seeming to be apologizing, a smile of wry embarrassment on her face. He frowned, no believing the look for a second. Not when he'd held her shaking form not ten minutes prior.

But when he walked up and she smiled at him, Ren couldn't help but hope that she had worked it out on her own, and forget how she'd trembled in that hallway as she told him how violated she felt, as though the world had been closing in on her.

___

It would be a long time before he realized that she was wearing a mask.

Just like him.


	6. True Revenge

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Skip Beat! or any of its characters. I only borrown them occassionally for my own amusement.

**True Revenge**

It was those Beagles that gave her the idea.

* * *

She'd confronted the bastard, furious that he was just lying down and taking it when that group of newbie _dogs_ were copying him. Everyone in the Visual-Kei world (to an extent) imitated others, but this group was blatantly copying him. Not just a simple question/answer or piece of song, but a full-out character and style imitation. And the fans didn't care.

She had been infuriated with him. Yelled at him. And she could see that he was breaking. Quietly and slowly, but breaking. But it wasn't because of _her_!

So she made him respond. She taunted him until he could finally admit out loud – and to himself – that it wasn't _alright_ and that he was _pissed_.

But then he'd done the unforgivable.

He'd hit her. He'd. _Hit._ Her.

He left a mark on her face, just as he'd left a mark on her soul.

And with that tiny scratch, the end had come for Fuwa Sho.

She'd clamped down on the urge to scream and rage – to _strangle_ him – and instead went still.

He'd apologized immediately, of course. Even that idiot was smart enough to know when he'd done something stupid. But she'd only looked at him, her aura freezing him in place, before turning and walking out the door.

His fate was sealed.

* * *

The next day at the Dark Moon set, he'd appeared, full of remorse and wishing to speak with her. A look was enough to slump his shoulders and send him walking.

Her fellow actors had never seen such a look of icy disdain even from her character Mio. Director Ogata nearly hyperventilated before she came back to herself and smiled cheerfully.

No one even speculated about her having a secret relationship with that Sho-Baka.

* * *

A guitar borrowed from one of the Bridge Rock group impressed them and reminded her that she knew everything that he knew. She'd been the one to urge and help him along when he'd become frustrated in learning to play. He'd never had an ounce of patience.

* * *

A weekend spent in a park with a brand new fairy covered notebook, and she had songs. _Good_ songs.

* * *

A meeting with the President, sitting through several glittery-eyed speeches, and she had his endorsement.

* * *

Another weekend spent filling yet another notebook with drawings, ideas, and character traits and she had a persona. She'd always known more than she'd ever wanted to about the things that made the Visual-Kei style. It had been her that went with Shoutaro to browse through all those alternative/Goth stores in order to develop his style.

* * *

The President helped a bit, enjoying both the costume design and the secrecy. And when she was finished with the physical, even she couldn't recognize herself in the mirror.

* * *

A recording session, an interview, and a music video, and suddenly everyone was whispering her name.

_Hime-san_.

* * *

Her Love-Me duties slowly turned into recording sessions and publicity events. The President adored her music and felt that her desire for this new twist was a sign of her love rekindling.

She did not dissuade him of the notion.

* * *

Her first concert, she was an opener for Fuwa Sho.

The music was different, a mixture of contradictions. Heavy yet sweet. Sexy yet innocent. Electric yet lulling. Her voice was high, almost child-like. Her songs weaved a tale that everyone could see, feel; they were of love and hate, fantasy and reality, fairy tales and nightmares. Yet the music behind it was heart pumping, electric. The two fit though. She made the screeching screaming music mesh with her lullaby-like lyrics.

The fans left the concert confused and disappointed. The opener had got them excited. Love at first hearing, yet Fuwa Sho, the man they'd come to see, hadn't been as exciting. He'd seemed almost dull in comparison.

* * *

She found it ironic that on her on-location filming for Dark Moon, she'd inspired him to fight harder. He left those Beagles in the dust with his new style. His deeper emotions and more meaningful lyrics. But he still began to lose popularity. His songs just couldn't compete with the depth she put into hers. The emotions she could convey. The connection people felt when they heard her, saw her.

* * *

The public were captivated. They adored her. The critics raved about her.

Her looks and charisma pulled people to her. Her mystery kept them coming back for more. Her music made them happy in their obsession.

Hime-san was different than anything they'd seen. Girl rockers tended to rely on their bodies as much as their music to get fans. Yet she didn't expose herself as others did.

She was cute, beautiful even, yet she took no extra effort to show that off. Girls could picture themselves as her; guys could picture themselves with her. She was relatable, yet at the same time there was a quality that was almost godlike.

Hime-san was what everyone lusted to have or be, yet never would. So the fans followed her, worshiped her, yet never tried to touch her, because she was precious, perfect.

Unattainable.

* * *

The attention and praise was enough to swell anyone's ego, even the most down to earth. But she never changed. But she never changed. Because it wasn't truly her that they praised, but Hime-san, her character. And the character was fixed, unchanging.

The fans loved her even more when they realized she was untouched by their praise.

* * *

Fuwa Sho slowly disappeared from the limelight. He remained in the industry, fighting with everything he had, but she shone too brightly for him to compete with. Her persona was untouchable and she played the character as she always did: with perfection. She succeeded easily where he struggled, because she was an actress.

She did not try to _be_ the best musician out there. Instead, she created a character that _was_.

It wasn't Mogami Kyoko that went out on stage and wooed the crowd, it was Hime-san. Hime-san that succeeded in blowing the minds of everyone in the industry.

* * *

She started out to crush him. And she did so, without a doubt. But along the way, just as with her acting, she found another thing she loved.

_**

* * *

**_

Omake:

It amused, as much as shocked, her when he finally revealed his secret. Tsuruga Ren, a stage name. A fake persona. He'd been worried that she'd hate him, or be disappointed.

He'd been shocked when she smiled, raised an eyebrow and fell into her own character.

Even without the make-up, wig, color contacts, and clothes, she was easily identified. Her persona had an electric charisma. Attractive yet shocking.

He'd blinked a few times before sitting down and laughing in self depreciation. He'd never even _suspected_.

She smiled sweetly and told him that the President knew.

His eyes narrowed.


End file.
